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Hundreds of Teachers in the US and Europe Attend TOLI Holocaust Seminars

Hundreds of educators across the US and Europe are taking part in programs this summer about the Holocaust and the lessons that can be drawn today, a time of surging hate crimes and extremism. The programs are sponsored and organized by The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Education and Human Rights (TOLI). In the US, there are eleven TOLI seminars across the country, where educators also address issues of social justice and human rights.

Already programs have taken place in Tulsa, OK and Albuquerque, NM. This week, teacher seminars are running in Billings, MT and Sterling, VA, with others following throughout the summer (view more information here). The flagship program for advanced Holocaust educators will take place in New York City, July 5-16, the first time in-person since the onset of the pandemic.

“The Holocaust and the extermination of six million Jews resulted from the spiraling of antisemitism, conspiracy theories and longstanding prejudices into systemic genocide,” says Mark Berez, President of TOLI. “While it was perpetrated by the Nazis, it was enabled by people who stood by, allowing their friends, neighbors and citizens to be murdered. Our purpose is to teach the Holocaust and, through its lens, to prevent such atrocities from happening, to strengthen respect for human rights and social justice.” In Europe, TOLI programs are underway and located in ten countries, the majority in Eastern Europe, including Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania (view more information here).

“Our work in Europe is where the Holocaust took place and where its history was suppressed, distorted or ignored for decades, ” says Berez. “We regard our work in those countries as essential and have seen a huge growth of interest among educators to take part in the programs.